Abstract:

The aim of the study is to clarify the causes and course of occurrence of stress factors in the population of university students in the period 2016-2021. The survey focuses on the symptoms of stress in the period before the Covid-19 pandemic, during the pandemic and in the current period. At the beginning, the theoretical background is described to explain the significant increase in stress factors in young people today. Above all, it is the effect of increased security measures, which relate to reducing contact with peers, online form of study, reduction of sports and physical activities and a frequent feeling of social isolation. The research is based on the methodological procedure of a longitudinal questionnaire survey in the psychological areas of frustration tolerance, stress management strategies, psychosomatic symptoms and stress potential zones. The next part of the study presents a statistical evaluation of research data carried out in the period 2016-2021 in 496 students. Respondents at the average age of 20 years, were selected from the study fields of information management, economics and tourism management at FIM UHK. The research set included data from 168 students before the coronavirus pandemic, 152 students during online quarantine measures and data from 176 students at the time of the covid measures with face-to-face teaching in 2021. During the monitored period 2016–2021, the number of psychosomatic symptoms increased from 27.7% to 34.2%, i.e. by 6.4% incidence. Here we can see a significant increase of 11.8% in the symptoms of fatigue and lack of energy. In the area of frustration tolerance, the ability to concentrate decreased from 51.8% to 37.4, i.e. a decrease of 14.4%. Furthermore, the respondents' sense of healthy self-confidence decreased from 55.4% to 46.2%, i.e. a decrease of 9.2%. In the area of stress zones, the dangerous zone of hyper-stress shows the highest increase of 4.2% incidence. In terms of coping with increased tension, the incidence of negative emotions increased from 34.7% to 40.5%, i.e. by 5.8%. Strategies that harm human health, so-called malcoping, increased from 27.3% to 33.9%, i.e. an increase of 6.5%. Healthy management of stressful situations showed a significant decrease from 58.0% to 43.8%, i.e. by 14.3% incidence. One of the reasons for the increase in stress among students in 2021 is the fact that these students at the previous high school had a year and a half of online teaching, so they could not study in the normal academic regime. We can state that our survey showed a significant increase in stress factors in individual parameters in the generation of young people due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the conclusion of the study, we therefore propose procedures of cognitive behavioral therapy and a healthy lifestyle. That is mainly about adhering to the principles of psychohygiene, maintaining physical activities and cultivating quality social ties, as currently recommended by the World Health Organization when it comes to stress management.

Keywords:

Covid-19 pandemic, effect of security measures, increase in stress factors, study fields information management, economics and management of tourism, psychosoma.